Two-part protective cover for padlocks

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a two-part protective cover for padlocks, one part of which comprises a sleeve open at the bottom and partially covered on top, sized and shaped so as to only accept the shackle and body of a padlock passed up through the open bottom, and a second part consisting of a subassembly that includes a lid and base detachably connectable to opposite open ends of the sleeve and a flexible connector linking said base and lid together. The invention also encompasses a protective cover of the type aforementioned wherein the second part comprises a lid with a pair of apertures therein positioned to pass the parallel legs of the shackle one at a time and cooperate therewith when mounted thereon to prevent removal of the body through the open bottom of the sleeve.

ite States tet 1 Hampton l TWO-PART PROTECTIVE COVER FOR PADLOCKS [76]Inventor: Marshall D. Hampton, 2125 S.

Ammons, Lakewood, Colo. 80227 [22] Filed: Dec. 3, 1973 [21] Appl. No.:421,418

[52] 1.1.8. Cl. 70/55 [51] Int. Cl E05b 67/38 [58] Field of Search70/54, 55, 56,455,417; 206/521; 150/5, 52 R; 249/121, 92, 97

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 786,586 4/1905 Moreland 4.70/54 X 1,662,612 3/1928 Junkuno 70/55 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS400,958 8/1924 Germany .J 70/55 395,613 5/1924 Germany 70/55 1 1.lan.7,1975

Primary ExaminerRobert L. Wolfe Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edwards,Spangler, Wymore & Klaas [57] 7 ABSTRACT This invention relates to atwo-part protective cover for padlocks, one part of which comprises asleeve open at the bottom and partially covered on top, sized and shapedso as to only accept the shackle and body of a padlock passed up throughthe open bottom, and a second part consisting of a subassembly thatincludes a lid and base detachably connectable to opposite open ends ofthe sleeve and a flexible connector linking said base and lid together.The invention also encompasses a protective cover of the typeaforementioned wherein the second part comprises a lid with a pair ofapertures therein positioned to pass the parallel legs of the shackleone at a time and cooperate therewith when mounted thereon to preventremoval of the body through the open bottom of the sleeve.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures TWO-PART PROTECTIVE COVER FOR PADLOCKSVarious vehicles, particularly trucks, trailers and the like, carrytheir spare tires in some readily accessible position where they areeasily stolen. Usually a wing nut is all that has to be removed to getthe tire loose. However, by far the most widespread problem today seemsto be that of stealing bicycles.

In all of these instances, undoubtedly the simplest and most convenientof the many security devices available is that of the standard padlockused together with a chain, armoured cable or other suitable accessory.Since, for all practical purposes, padlocks, chains and cables must befabricated from metal, they have a tendency to jiggle around when thevehicle is in motion knocking against painted surfaces and marring thefin ish to say nothing of the noise they make. The padlocks, inparticular are exposed to the elements and, in

sists of a cup-shaped receptacle molded from plastic and sized toreceive the body of the lock passed down through the open top, and adetachable lid with two holes in it positioned to receive the parallellegs of the shackle. While such a device solves the marring, rattlingand sealing problems in much the same way as the instant device, itstill has a number of shortcomings.

To begin with, the cup-shapedreceptacle has to be completely removedfrom the lid which remains on the shackle in order to gain access to thekeyhole in the bottom of the padlock. Secondly, the very jiggling aboutof the padlock which is one of the important reasons for having theprotective cover in the first place, is the same factor that can easilycause the receptacle to shake loose from the lid, drop free of the bodyand become lost. Finally, even ordinary use of the unit demands that thereceptacle be separated physically from its lid and the lock which isnot only inconvenient but creates a further chance of losing it.

It has now been found in accordance with the teaching of the instantinvention that these and other shortcomings of the prior art protectivedevices for padlocks can, in large measure, be eliminated by the simple,but unobvious, expedient of doing such things as encasing the body in asleeve open at both ends, covering the bottom with a detachablyconnected base that provides ready access to the keyhole in the lockbody with the sleeve still in place, linking the base and lid togetherwith an externally located connector, and providing the upper marginaledge of the sleeve with some type of stop forming element thatprojects-out over a portion of the top of the lock body and is effectiveto prevent the latter from being removed through the open top of thesleeve. With a lid having spaced apertures therein to receive theparallel legs of the shackle mounted thereon, the web between saidapertures prevents removal of the body even through the open bottom ofthe sleeve. As such, with the padlock locked, all elements of theprotective cover are either connected to the latter or to one another soas-to remain in assembled-relation where they cannot be lost or stolen.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present in vention toprovide a novel and improved protective cover for padlocks.

A second objective is the provision of a device of the typeaforementioned which provides immediate access to the keyhole.

Another object ofthe within described invention is to provide a case forthe body of a padlock, no element of which can be completelydisassociated from the other elements or the lock itself without firstunlocking the latter and removing the lid from its shackle by detachingits parallel legs one at a time from the spaced apertures in said lid. I

Still another object is to provide a unit ofthe type disclosed andclaimed herein in which the lock body can only be removed through thebottom of the sleeve thus effectively preventing these elements frombecoming separated accidently or on purpose by a thief while the lock islocked.

An additional objective is to provide a two piece lock protectiveassembly wherein a sleeve open at both ends comprises one part and thesubassembly consisting of the lid and base detachably connectable to theopposite open ends of the sleeve together with the strap linking saidlid and base together comprise the second element. 1

Further objects are-to provide a padlock protector that is simple,inexpensive, rugged, versatile, compact, lightweight, readily adaptableto various types, shapes and styles of padlocks and a unit of the typeaforemen tioned that is even decorative in appearance.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed outspecifically hereinafter in connection with the description of thedrawings that follows, and in which: I i i FIG. 1 is a perspectivelooking down upon a padlock encased in the protective cover ofthepresent invention as the above assembly would be seen from a vantagepoint above and in front of its upper right hand corner;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view to a slightly smaller scale than FIG. 1showing the assembly from the same vantage point but with it laid overon its back, the lock unlocked and the base detached from the sleeve,portions of the base having been broken away to conserve space;

FIG. 3 is yet-another prerspective view to still a further reduced scaleshowing only the two elements that cooperate to define the two pieceassembly that encases the lock;

FIG. 4 is a section of the protective assembly alone taken along line4-4 of FIG. 1 and to a slightly larger scale than the latter; and,

FIG. 5 is a section of the case by itself taken along line 55 of FIG. -1and to the same scale as FIG. 4.

Referring next to the several figures of the drawing for a detaileddescription of the present invention, the protective cover forming thesubject matter thereof has been broadly designated by reference numeral10 and it will be seen to consist of two parts, namely, a rectangularsleeve open at both ends that'has been generally referred to herein byreference numeral 12 and a subassembly broadly referred to by number 14that includes a lid 16, a base 18 and a connector 20 linking the latterelements together. The padlock is conventional and has been givengeneral designation 22. In the particular form illustrated, the padlockhas a body 24 with a more or less rectangular cross section, paralleltop and bottom ends designated by reference numerals 26 and 28,respectively, an inverted U-shaped shackle 30 emerging from the top, anda keyhole 32 in the bottom. As illustrated, both pieces 12 and 14 of theprotective cover 10 are molded from a suitable plastic material which isdeformable enough to accommodate the bending action of connector 20, issofter than the painted finishes it is likely to come in contact with,and is weather resistant to the extent that it can withstand extremes ofheat and cold along with such things as mud, sand and water that willsurely fall thereon or be thrown thereagainst during normal use.

Now, the sleeve 12 is obviously shaped and dimensioned to looselyenclose the sides and ends of the body 24 of the look while projectingslightly above and below both the bottom and top surfaces thereof as isclearly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In the specific form shown, both the topand bottom marginal edges of the sleeve are externally recessed tonarrow the walls at this point and define shoulders 34 and 36 againstwhich the lid 16 and base 18 rest. It is these relatively thinner wallsections 38 and 40 that telescope up into the marginal flanges 42 and 44that border the lid and base, respectively. If desired, smallinterlocking tongue and groove subassemblies 46 can be molded intoopposed telescoped surfaces 38.and 42 or 40 and 44 or both of the sleeveand mating lid and base to insure their remaining fastened togetheralthough the assembly works quite well without them.

Of considerable significance, on the other hand, are the stop formingelements 48 that are formed integral with the top margin of the sleeveand project inwardly V therefrom so as to partially block the opening inthe top thereof. These stop forming elements are so designed andpositioned as to be effective in preventing removal of the body 24 ofthe padlock 22 through the open top of the sleeve. This means that evenwith the base removed from the sleeve, it cannot drop down over the bodyof the lock and become detached threrefrom either accidently or onpurpose. In fact, to mount the protective cover on the lock, the usermust first pass the body and shackle up through the open bottom of thesleeve, then open the shackle and swing it aside for insertion throughthe apertures 50 therefor in the lid, and finally telescope the lid andbase onto opposite ends of the sleeve.

As far as the configuration and location of stop forming elements 48 isconcerned, they can, if desired, completely cover the open top of thesleeve leaving only a slot for the shackle to pass through. Note also,that the inside of the base is grooved at 52 to accept the relativelythinner wall portion at the bottom of the sleeve. If, perchance, theuser mistakenly gets the sleeve turned upside down, the stop formingelements will engage the upstanding platform 54 bordered by said groovethus preventing the base from seating properly in fully telescopedrelation. The gap that is left between shoulder 34 and the top ofupstanding flange 44 of the base will give the user an immediateindication of his error.

As far as the lid 16 is concerned, it is bordered by a downturned flange42 as previously mentioned that telescopes down over the relativelythinner wall section 38 at the top of the sleeve and seats against theupwardly facing shoulder 34 at the base thereof. The two apertures 50 inthe top of the lid are known in the prior art protective coverpreviously mentioned and their function is, of course, to pass theparallel legs of the inverted U-shaped shackle. While such a lid isknown in the prior art, its function is not in that it cooperates withthe shackle upon which it is mounted to prevent removal of the lock bodyeven through the open bottom of the sleeve as the web between said lidapertures acts as a stop.

In the specific embodiment of the lid illustrated, however, a platform56 is located on the underside thereof between the apertures 50, thefunction ofwhich is to engage the top 26 of the padlock 22 as shown inFIGS.

3 and 4 so as to maintain enough of a space between the latter and thesurrounding lid portions to receive stop forming elements 48. Hereagain, while novel, this feature is by no means essential to properoperation of the unit.

The base is, likewise, conventional except for the groove 52 alreadydescribed and the projection 58 on the edge thereof opposite connector20 that defines a fingerhold to facilitiate its detachment from thesleeve. Obviously, this is but a convenience feature that can beeliminated with no loss in function whatsoever.

Last, but by no means least, is the integrally formed connector or bail20 that keeps the base permanently attached to the lid at all times andcooperates therewith to define subassembly 14 which is the second partof the two-part unit. This connector is shown in the form of a flexiblestrap that allows the base'to be attached from the sleeve and swingaside to gain access to the keyhole 32 in the bottom of the lock. Since,as already noted,'the lid remains attached to the shackle at all timesduring normal use, the base cannot be lost or misplaced. Furthermore,the sleeve cannot be removed either with the lid in place so that theparts of the protective cover cooperate with one another and the lockitself to always remain in assembled relation when the latter is locked.

What is claimed is:

1. A protective cover for padlocks having a body, an inverted U-shapedshackle emerging from the top of the body and means in the bottom of thelatter for unlocking the shackle which comprises: a sleeve open at bothends sized to accept the body through the opening in the bottom thereofand define a casing covering its walls; a lid detachably connectable tothe top of the sleeve as a cover for the top of the body, said lidhaving at least one aperture therein positioned and adapted to pass theshackle; a base detachably connectable to the bottom of the sleeve as aremovable cover for the bottom of the body; and, a flexible connectorinterconnecting the lid and base externally of the sleeve cooperatingtherewith to define a unitary subassembly, said connector beingeffective to permit removal of the base while leaving same attached tothe lid in order to gain access to the bottom of the body.

2. The protective padlock cover as set forth in claim I which includes:stop forming means positioned and adapted to partially block the openingin the top of the sleeve while leaving a passageway for the shackle topass therethrough, said stop forming means being effective to preventremoval of the body through the opening in the top of the sleeve thusobstructed.

3. The protective padlock cover as set forth in claim 1 in which: thelid has a pair of apertures therein sepa rated by a web, said aperturesbeing positioned to pass the parallel legs of the shackle and said webdefining a stop effective to prevent either attachment or removal ofsaid lid other than one leg at a time, and said-lid cooperating withsaid shackle when in place on the latter to prevent removal of the bodythrough the open bottom of the sleeve.

4. The protective padlock cover as set forth in claim 1 in which: theconnector comprises an integrallyformed strap.

5. The protective padlock cover as set forth in claim 1 in which: thelid and base each include marginal flanges adapted to telescope overtheir respective ends of the sleeve.

6. The protective padlock cover as set forth in claim 2 in which: thestop forming means comprise a pair of opposed integrally-formed ears onopposite sides of the shackle-receiving aperture.

7. A protective cover for padloclts having a body, an

inverted U'shaped shackle emerging from the top of the body and means inthe bottom of the latter for unlocking the shackle which comprises: asleeve open at both ends sized to accept the body through the opening inthe bottom thereof and define a casing covering its walls; stop formingmeans depending from the upper end of the sleeve partially blocking theopening in the upper end thereof while leaving a passageway for theshackle to pass therethrough, said stop forming means being effective toprevent removal of the body through the opening in the top of the sleevethus obstructed; and, a lid detachably connectable to the top of thesleeve, said lid having a pair of spaced apertures therein separated bya web positioned and adapted to pass the parallel legs of the shackleone at a time, and said lid when mounted on the shackle cooperatingtherewith to prevent removal of the body through the opening in thebottom of the sleeve.

1. A protective cover for padlocks having a body, an inverted Ushapedshackle emerging from the top of the body and means in the bottom of thelatter for unlocking the shackle which comprises: a sleeve open at bothends sized to accept the body through the opening in the bottom thereofand define a casing covering its walls; a lid detachably connectable tothe top of the sleeve as a cover for the top of the body, said lidhaving at least one aperture therein positioned and adapted to pass theshackle; a base detachably connectable to the bottom of the sleeve as aremovable cover for the bottom of the body; and, a flexible connectorinterconnecting the lid and base externally of the sleeve cooperatingtherewith to define a unitary subassembly, said connector beingeffective to permit removal of the base while leaving same attached tothe lid in order to gain access to the bottom of the body.
 2. Theprotective padlock cover as set forth in claim 1 which includes: stopforming means positioned and adapted to partially block the opening inthe top of the sleeve while leaving a passageway for the shackle to passtherethrough, said stop forming means being effective to prevent removalof the body through the opening in the top of the sleeve thusobstructed.
 3. The protective padlock cover as set forth in claim 1 inwhich: the lid has a pair of apertures therein separated by a web, saidapertures being positioned to pass the parallel legs of the shackle andsaid web defining a stop effective to prevent either attachment orremoval of said lid other than one leg at a time, and said lidcooperating with said shackle when in place on the latter to preventremoval of the body through the open bottom of the sleeve.
 4. Theprotective padlock cover as set forth in claim 1 in which: the connectorcomprises an integrally-formed strap.
 5. The protective padlock cover asset forth in claim 1 in which: the lid and base each include marginalflanges adapted to telescope over their respective ends of the sleeve.6. The protective padlock cover as set forth in claim 2 in which: thestop forming means comprise a pair of opposed integrally-formed ears onopposite sides of the shackle-receiving aperture.
 7. A protective coverfor padlocks having a body, an inverted U-shaped shackle emerging fromthe top of the body and mEans in the bottom of the latter for unlockingthe shackle which comprises: a sleeve open at both ends sized to acceptthe body through the opening in the bottom thereof and define a casingcovering its walls; stop forming means depending from the upper end ofthe sleeve partially blocking the opening in the upper end thereof whileleaving a passageway for the shackle to pass therethrough, said stopforming means being effective to prevent removal of the body through theopening in the top of the sleeve thus obstructed; and, a lid detachablyconnectable to the top of the sleeve, said lid having a pair of spacedapertures therein separated by a web positioned and adapted to pass theparallel legs of the shackle one at a time, and said lid when mounted onthe shackle cooperating therewith to prevent removal of the body throughthe opening in the bottom of the sleeve.